


a marshmallow world in the winter

by takemehome21



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Cookies, F/M, Fluff, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2019-02-15 03:55:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13022715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takemehome21/pseuds/takemehome21
Summary: literati + making christmas cookies





	a marshmallow world in the winter

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for Day 15 of #agilmorechristmas over on tumblr. Go check it out!

“Packing crisis! Rory, come help,” Lorelai calls down the stairs.

Rory gets out of her desk chair and reluctantly makes her way upstairs.

“At your service, master,” Rory says when she reaches Lorelai’s room.

“I have no clothes so I guess I just have to cancel on my mother,” Lorelai says, flopping down on the bed.

“You can’t cancel on Grandma. She doesn’t take too kindly to her deals being broken,” Rory replies and walks over to the closet. “You have plenty of clothes by the way. Too many probably.”

Lorelai whines and kicks her legs out.

“This is not how I’m supposed to be spending the holiday. With my _mother_ in _Nantucket_. Blah,” Lorelai says.

“You shouldn’t have asked her for money. There’s always a catch.”

“I’m supposed to be swapping houses with Kate Winslet and going to England to fall in love with Jude Law. _That’s_ how you spend your holiday,” Lorelai says, blowing past what Rory said.

“Okay, guess it’s Ignore Rory Hour,” she says, pulling out clothes and throwing them in her mother’s suitcase.

Lorelai sits up and zeros in on Rory.

“And you! I can’t believe you’re abandoning me on Christmas.”

“I have book stuff to do. Very serious business to deal with in Hartford,” Rory says. “Plus, you’ll have Luke the whole time. If you’re good Grandma will direct most of her passive aggressiveness towards him.”

“God, I taught you too well. The student has surpassed the master,” Lorelai says with a sigh.

“Not quite. But I’m a close second,” Rory says and comes to sit beside her.

Lorelai puts her arm around Rory and glares at her now half packed suitcase.

“I’m coming up the day after Christmas and I’m staying until New Year’s Day. You know I actually do have business to do.”

Lorelai scoffs and falls back against the mattress again.

“That could easily be done over the phone. While you’re in Nantucket with me. Making sure I don’t fling myself into the ocean,” she says.

“But why do that when I could sleep in the comfort my childhood bedroom for as long as possible?”

“Because you love your mommy,” Lorelai tries.

Rory winces, “I’ve got some bad news for you.”

Lorelai reaches her arm up and slaps Rory’s leg.

“You’re terrible.”

“Learned from the best,” Rory says and falls back on to the bed.  
  


* * *

**  
[From: Jess]**

**[To: Rory]**  
Hey future NYT best seller. Are you going to be in Stars Hollow for Christmas?

 **[From: Rory]**  
[To: Jess]  
I think you meant to text yourself.  
But yes I am going to be in the Hollow this Christmas.

 **[From: Jess]**  
[To: Rory]  
Huh. Believe it or not but I’m going to be there myself.

 **[From: Rory]**  
[To: Jess]  
Weird coincidence…

 **[From: Jess]**  
[To: Rory]  
Almost like we both have family there and both lived there at one point or something.

 **[From: Rory]**  
[To: Jess]  
The universe works in funny ways. Since we’re both going to be here at the same time, maybe we could catch up over a cup of coffee?

 **[From: Jess]**  
[To: Rory]  
Just a cup? Not five?

 **[From: Rory]**  
[To: Jess]  
Ha ha ha

 **[From: Jess]**  
[To: Rory]  
I could be persuaded to have some coffee. Especially if you’re making it.

 **[From: Rory]**  
[To: Jess]  
That could be arranged.  
  


* * *

  
Rory sees Lorelai and Luke off a few days before Christmas Eve.

They’re driving four hours and then taking a ferry to get to the island. Lorelai is less than pleased about it.

She throws her suitcase into the trunk of the Jeep and curses Rory for packing her so many outfits.

And then it starts to snow.

“Oh my god! It’s snowing. This is a message. The snow is telling me not to leave,” Lorelai shouts.

“I’ll be waiting in the car,” Luke says. “Bye Rory.”

“Bye Luke. Good luck!”

Lorelai snaps her fingers, trying to pull focus away from look.

“Are you seeing this?”

“Don’t be dramatic mom”

“Rory, it’s a sign. And I’m not one to ignore signs,” Lorelai replies.

“What’s this all about? I thought you and Grandma have been good recently.”

Lorelai sighs and says, “Yeah we’ve been better than we ever have. I just like our Christmas traditions and I like this house and I hate that you’re not going to be there with me.”

“I will be!”

“Not for the whole time!”

“Mom,” Rory chides.

“Rory,” Lorelai mimics.

“You’re going to be fine. Call me when you get there so I know you made it and you can text me literally 24/7.”

“Fine. Just be prepared for my inane texts at all hours,” Lorelai says.

“I was born ready.”

Lorelai sighs and hikes her purse on to her shoulder.

“Okay, kid. I guess we should get going.”

“Everything will be fine. I’m pretty sure you can bribe Berta’s kids to play pranks on Grandma if it makes you feel better.”

Lorelai smiles and puts her arm around Rory.

“It does thanks.”

She kisses her cheek then pulls away to get in the car.

Rory watches them pull out of the drive. She waves once and then they’re gone.  
  


* * *

  
Rory loves having the house to herself.

It’s better than been cooped up in her tiny Queens apartment with all the street noise and annoying neighbours.

It’s quiet in Stars Hollow. Especially when Lorelai isn’t around.

And she’s taking advantage of the peace by working out the final kinks of her book, getting it ready for the publishers.

Her music cuts off and she curses herself for not charging her Bluetooth speaker. But then her ringtone sounds from the speaker and she reaches to grab her phone.

She smiles at the caller ID.

“I hope I’m on speakerphone,” she says in lieu of hello.

“Obviously,” Jess replies. “I don’t have the money to pay that kind of fine.”

Rory gets up and walks to the kitchen, getting out the coffee grounds.

“I’m putting on a pot as we speak,” she tells him.

“I could be miles away, that’s very presumptuous of you.”

“I know you well enough to know you wouldn’t call unless you’re close and don’t want to show up as a surprise.”

“You got me there, Gilmore,” he says. “I’m turning in. I guess I’ll let myself in?”

“Door’s always unlocked,” she says and then hangs up the phone with a simple goodbye.

A few minutes later the door opens and Jess calls her name.

“In the kitchen. Follow the smell of coffee,” she replies.

She hears his footsteps before she sees him and when she does it’s all too much.

“Hey,” he says simply.

“Hi,” Rory says and turns back to the coffee machine.

“What? No hug? It’s Christmastime.”

Rory bites her lip to contain her smile.

“If you insist,” she says and moves to hug him, arms wrapping around his middle.

His arms come up around her shoulders, squeezing her tight.

“It’s good to see you,” he whispers.

“You too,” Rory says and then pulls away.

The coffee machine beeps then and Rory pulls two mugs out of the cupboard and pours one for both of them. She fixes his coffee just how he likes – bit of milk, bit of sugar – and then does her own.

She places the steaming mug in front of him at the kitchen table and then sits across from him.

“You only just missed Luke. Him and my mom left the other day for Nantucket,” she tells him.

“Yeah, Luke said something about being held hostage by your grandmother,” he says.

Rory laughs and says, “Luke and Lorelai, match made in heaven.”

“No doubt,” Jess says.

After a brief lull in the conversation Rory tells him that she wants to bake Christmas cookies.

“I’m sorry. What did you just say?” He asks after he almost chokes on his coffee.

“Don’t look so incredulous,” she says. “I’ve baked before.”

Jess scoffs and puts his mug down.

“Putting pop tarts in the toaster doesn’t count.”

Rory scoffs, louder than his and pulls up a gingerbread recipe on her phone

She shows it to Jess and says, “This is what we’re baking.”

“ _We’re_?”

“Oh yeah buddy. You doubted me so now you’re going to help prove yourself wrong,” she says with a smirk.

“Very mature of you,” he says sarcastically.

“That’s me. Rory ‘Very Mature’ Gilmore,” she replies.

Jess just smiles at her for a moment. He gets up from his chair and rubs his hands together.

“So let’s get started. What do we need?”

“To go to the market.”

“You don’t have _any_ ingredients?”

Rory stands up with him and shakes her head.

“Use that brain of yours, Jess. Lorelai Gilmore lives in this house. As much as Luke has tried, there are never _any_ _ingredients_ here.”

“Poor Luke,” Jess says with a smirk.

“Everybody knows what they’re signing up for when they get involved with a Gilmore girl,” Rory points out.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Jess says, taking a moment to really look at Rory.

She says something about walking instead of driving and he shakes out of it to follow her out the door.  
  


* * *

  
As they walk to Doose’s it starts to snow. It’s very picturesque.

“So,” Jess starts.

He pauses, not sure how to word his next sentence.

“So?” Rory asks.

“Are you doing better?”

He pauses again for a second but when he sees Rory’s face he continues.

“Last year before you started on the book it sounded like you weren’t in a great place. We haven’t really talked about it since then. I just want to know how you’re doing, I guess.”

Rory nods, looking towards the square to distract herself. She tries to avoid this kind of conversation as much as possible. But it’s Jess. He’s not going to judge her.

“It definitely was not my best year.”

She looks at him then, “But this year has been better.”

Jess nods and holds her gaze for a minute.

“Good. That’s good.”

“For some reason I just couldn’t make the journalism thing work. No matter how much I wanted it to or how much I tried it just never amounted to anything,” she says with a frown. “I miss it.”

“You can always go back to it,” Jess says.

They’ve slowed to almost a shuffle, barely moving forward with each step. They can’t have a conversation like this in Dosey’s (because the town is too nosey for its own good) and they both know once they go in there and stop the conversation this topic won’t get picked up again (because it’s hard and uncomfortable).

“I never told you this but I was having an affair with Logan when we saw each other last year. He was engaged and I had a boyfriend,” she says bluntly, out of nowhere.

“Oh,” Jess says simply, too shocked to say anything else.

“Yup. I ended it last fall,” she tells him.

Jess nods again and stares at his shoes, not knowing what to say.

Rory nudges him in the side and he looks at her.

“You can say what you’re thinking” Rory says, smirking at his shyness.

“I think it’s good that you broke it off. You deserve better than some secret side relationship.”

“You’re right,” she replies. “I wasn’t in a good place and I made some terrible decisions and hurt a lot of people. But I’m working on doing better.”

“Well, you’ve succeeded in my opinion,” he says.

“Thanks, Jess.”

He smiles and looks down the street at Doose’s.

“We should probably go in before they close for the night.”

“Good idea,” Rory says.

They get back to a normal walking speed and go into Doose’s.

Rory takes out her phone and opens the recipe to see what they need to buy.

“Are you sure you want to make gingerbread?” Jess asks.

“It’s a classic!” Rory says.

Jess holds his hands up in surrender.

“Okay, okay. As long as you’re sure it’s what you want to make.”

“I’m sure,” she says.

“Well then you’ll need some molasses,” he says, taking a pack off the shelf and putting it in their basket.

“Look at you knowing what we need for gingerbread cookies without looking at the recipe.”

“I’m full of surprises.”  
  


* * *

  
They make it back to the house is record time, leaving many hours for them to bake and possibly remake the cookies.

Jess unpacks the ingredients from the shopping bags while Rory gets the bowls, pans and measuring cups out.

“Do you mind if I put on Christmas music?”

“Go ahead, it’s your house,” Jess says.

“Not technically, but I’ll take it,” she says and puts on her Christmas playlist.

“Okay so first we make the dough,” he says.

“Correct. Then we let it sit for a while and then we roll it out, cut it into shapes and then bake it.”

“Sounds good,” Jess says and grabs a measuring cup. “Shall we get started?”

Rory nods and props her phone up on the counter so they can both read the recipe.

They have a good system going.

Jess measures out the ingredients because it’s safe that way and Rory mixes them all together.

It doesn’t take them long to get something resembling dough together. It actually looks pretty appetizing.

“Not too shabby for a couple of newbies,” Jess remarks after they’re done making the dough.

“Yeah,” Rory replies. “It isn’t too bad. It’s almost good.”

“Well let’s get it in the fridge so we can bake it.”

They wrap it in plastic and rest it flat in the fridge.

 “More coffee?” Rory suggests.

“Why not?”

Rory brews a new pot because the old one is probably gross by now. She gets them new mugs and pours them fresh cups once the pot of full.

“Hey, go in the cupboard above the fridge for me,” Rory says.

“Is that where you keep the family secrets? Am I finally going to find out how you Gilmores eat so much?”

“Nice try. I’d never give that up,” Rory says.

Jess opens the cabinet to reveal bottles of alcohol. He laughs as his eyes roam over all the options available to him.

“You trying to get me drunk?” He asks.

“More like lightly buzzed,” she replies.

He nods and reaches for the bottle of whiskey, pulling it down with an excited grin.

“If we drink too much of this I’m sure we’ll mess up the cookies for sure,” Rory notes.

“Well you were probably going to mess it up anyways.”

Rory gasps and smacks his arm. She might not be good at all this stuff but she’s not bad at it. Plus she has help.

“Sorry, sorry,” Jess says, laughing at her shocked face.

“Just drink your coffee and sit there looking pretty. That mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble,” she says, blowing past her calling him pretty.

She wills herself not to blush under his gaze.

He mimes locking his lips and takes a sip of his coffee.

And he can’t help his smile.

-

“The cookie cutter pack from Dosey’s has surprisingly good options,” Jess remarks when they’re cutting out shapes.

Rory is using the cutter in the shape of a person because she’s traditional but Jess went for the snowman cutter and is contemplating trying out the Christmas tree one.

“Who knew Taylor stocked up so well? I was fully expecting to just have to cut our own shapes with a knife or something,” Rory says.

Jess snorts and puts his snowmen on the pan and reaches from the Christmas tree cutter.

“Good choice,” Rory says. “I like a little variety.”

“Yours look good too,” he replies.

Rory looks at her gingerbread people fondly. She’s given them eyes and a little smile and they look cute. They might even taste good.

“I think they’re ready for the oven,” she says.

“Let’s do it.”

They put each of their pans in the oven and Jess sets a timer on his phone. And Rory sets one of her phone too just to be safe.

They end up on the couch, feet up on the coffee table in exhaustion.

“Baking is hard work,” Rory says.

“Yeah. I’m totally okay if you never want to make cookies together again,” Jess says. “I’ve filled my quota.

Rory laughs and changes the channel to a cheesy Christmas movie she knows Jess will hate.

His arm is resting behind her on the couch and she’s tempted to curl into his warmth and just stay there. She settles for shifting a little bit closer and she feels him do the same.

They stay like that for a while, not touching but close enough.

The movies drones on in the background but they’re not paying attention to it. Rory would rather focus on Jess.

She doesn’t know what’s happening but she knows she wants it, wants him after all this time.

“Rory,” Jess whispers.

She looks at him to find his gaze already on her.

“Jess,” she whispers back.

Their faces are closer together than she expected but it makes it all the easier to close the distance and kiss him.

And she’s about but then the timer goes off.

Rory jumps off the couch and quickly makes her way to the kitchen to take the cookies out.

After a few moments Jess follows her.

“How do they look?” He asks.

Rory’s got the oven door open and her oven mitts on as she inspects the cookies.

“I think they’re ready,” she says and pulls out Jess’s pan first.

“Wow, I can’t believe we actually made Christmas cookies and they’re not disastrous,” he says while Rory takes out her own pan.

“Don’t get so excited just yet. We haven’t even tasted them.”

“But they didn’t explode in the oven so that’s something,” he replies.

“You’re right,” she says.

She’s scooping the cookies off the pan and into a plate with a spatula. Is that even how people get cookies off pans? She has no idea but she’s doing it anyways.

They have to wait a few minutes before they can eat the cookies because they don’t want to burn their mouths.

“I’m feeling good about this,” Jess says as they stare at the cooling cookies.

It’s better than talking about what almost happened on the couch.

“It’s been like five minutes,” Rory says. “I think we can try them.”

She hands Jess one of his Christmas trees and she takes one of her gingerbread people.

“Moment of truth,” he says and they both take a bite.

“Oh my god,” Rory says through a mouthful of cookie.

“I know,” Jess says, swallowing his bite.

“We are damn good bakers!”

“Should we open up a gingerbread cookie business? I feel like this is our calling,” he says.

Rory laughs and tries not to choke on her second bite of cookie.

“I can’t believe we did it. I need to take pictures or nobody will believe me,” she says and pulls her phone out of pocket.

She takes a picture of the cookies on the plate and then turns the camera over to Jess.

“Smile and use your face to really sell how good the cookies are,” she tells him. “Tilt your head up a little so the light catches you better.”

“Okay Annie Leibovitz,” he says but does what she asks anyways.

She gets really good pictures of him and for the hell of it she switches the camera to selfie mode and takes a picture of the both of them taking a bite of their cookies.

“This one’s for the Christmas card,” she says and Jess laughs.

“Only if you want your mother to have a heart attack,” he says.

“Maybe I’ll hold on to this one, just for me.”  
  


* * *

  
They migrated back to the couch at some point, having eaten at least five cookies each.

Jess catches a glimpse of Rory’s phone when it goes off with a text from Lorelai.

“Damn it’s late,” he says, sitting up. “I should probably get going.”

He stands up and Rory shoots up beside him.

“You should just stay here tonight,” she says hesitantly.

Jess looks at her then, trying to figure out what’s going on in her head.

“We had a bit to drink, in our coffees. I wouldn’t want you to get behind the wheel,” she continues.

“I’m not drunk,” he says. “And I could just walk to Liz and TJ’s. It’s not that far.”

“I know but I want you to stay,” Rory says softly.

“Yeah?” Jess asks, trying not to get his hopes up.

“Yeah.”

He reaches his hand up to her face and pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. He leaves his hand there, warm against her cheek.

He leans a little closer to her and says, “Is this okay?”

“More than,” Rory says and surges up to kiss him.

Jess sighs, pulling her closer to him, needing to feel all of her.

One of Rory’s hands falls onto his chest, right above his heart while the other caresses his neck.

He pulls away from her for a moment and starts kissing down her neck, falling back into their routine like no time has passed.

She moans his name and Jess has to stop what he’s doing to make sure he’s not dreaming.

“Rory,” he rasps, straightening out to look at her. “It doesn’t have to be anything if you’re not ready.”

The hand on his neck reaches up to caress his cheek, warm and rosy.

“I’m ready, Jess. This is how it was always supposed to be. Me and you,” she says.

“I missed you,” he tells her sincerely.

“Me too,” she says.

And then he has to kiss her again.

They fall back into the couch, getting comfortable and taking their time with each other.

Rory snakes her hand under his shirt and lightly scratches his back.

Jess laughs against her lips and has to pull away.

“Someone’s a little feisty,” he says.

“I’ve wanted to be like this with you for a long time. I’m not going to let this opportunity go to waste,” she replies.

“Rory, we have all the time in the world. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know I just really missed you.”

“Well, the guys and I have been talking about setting up a branch of Truncheon in New York,” Jess says.

“Really?” Rory asks excitedly.

“I could volunteer to head it up, you know, move to New York.”

“Jess,” she says. “That would be amazing.”

“So we don’t have to rush things. I’m fine with taking our time,” he says.

“But what if I want you right now?”

“Then have me.”

Rory smirks and moves to straddle his legs.

“I happen to live in New York now,” she tells him. “Specifically Queens.”

“Oh yeah?” Jess says as if doesn’t know.

“If you ever need to a place to stay,” she starts suggestively.

“I’ve got your number,” he says and nuzzles her cheek affectionately.

Rory laughs at this new side of Jess, not afraid to be affectionate and soft. It’s good. So good.

“It’s a Christmas miracle, the two of us back together.”

“It really is.”

“I’m so happy, Jess,” Rory says.

“You have no idea,” Jess replies.

Unable to hold back any longer, Rory surges forward and kisses him soundly.

And she doesn’t think she’s ever going to stop.


End file.
